Kosloff Architecture to design Swinburne student hub

Swinburne University of Technology has appointed Kosloff Architecture to design a 24-hour "Latelab" and student hub for its Hawthorn campus in Melbourne's east.

The project will refurbish an existing building at 27 John Street, opposite the campus library, and increase the capacity of the student hub by 20 percent.

It will create four levels of dedicated student spaces with kitchen, dining and lounge facilities, project rooms and group working spaces.

"We believe it has the potential to be a catalyst for the campus community by transforming the experience of students for many years to come," said Stephanie Bullock, director of Kosloff Architecture.

The vision for the project has been developed with the student community. The university held a design workshop in May 2023.

"A project like this also represents a unique opportunity to involve students in the design of spaces they will occupy, and we have already started an extensive consultation process with both students and staff," Bullock continued.

The project will help the university advance its sustainability goals. "This project will be an adaptive re-use of the existing building, featuring sustainable design that reduces negative impacts on the environment and promotes the health and comfort of our students in a way that improves building performance and amenity," said Swinburne chief operating officer Nancy Collins.

The new student hub is part of the university's Next Gen Campus development project, which also includes a campus heart, Indigenous learning circles, VET (vocational education and training) teaching spaces, and a digital prototyping and fabrication lab.

The design and business case for the student hub will be presented to the university's governing body in late-2023. The project is expected to be complete in 2025.

"Providing modern and innovative spaces to study, interact and relax on campus are vital to the Next Gen Campus we're building here at Swinburne," said deputy vice-chancellor Pip Pattison.

"These are the spaces where our students will make lasting memories and form lifelong connections as they create and innovate for the future, now."